Study Finds No Evidence of Cognitive Impairment in Most Former NFL Players

A study led by the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas examining the neuropsychological status of former National Football League (NFL) players has found that cognitive deficits and depression are more common among retired players than in the general population. However, researchers from both the Center for BrainHealth and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center say that their study, available online in JAMA Neurology, also is significant for what it did not find: evidence of cognitive impairment in the majority of ex-players.

Many former NFL players who took part in our study, even those with extensive concussion histories, are healthy and cognitively normal,” according to John Hart Jr. MD, medical science director at the Center for BrainHealth and director of the BrainHealth Institute for Athletes that was created to address the long-term effects of sports-related traumatic brain injuries. “In 60 percent of our participants — most of whom had sustained prior concussions — we found no cognitive problems, no mood problems and no structural brain abnormalities. Many former NFL players think that because they played football or had concussions, they are certain to face severe neurological consequences, but that is not always the case.” For more information, click here to read the full article.